Hello, banana fritters. We’re not quite done. The obsession with bone marrow isn’t over…yet. If you’re wondering what’s the fuss over marrow – it’s an iron-rich fat. Uncommon, as fat goes. And more importantly, a whole food source of iron.
Iron (and zinc) are two minerals that are in high demand during babyhood – and breast milk cannot fulfill this demand. So your baby must get these nutrients from an outside source. While fortified cereals will do in a pinch,whole foods nourish your baby best.
So, when you can – work in those iron rich foods.
These banana fritters can be made with any fat you have on hand. But, for the sake of making every bite count, I like thembest with bone marrow.
Spotted bananas, better for baby digestion
Choose browning and spotted bananas, they’re easier for your baby to digest because they’ve had a chance to ripen.
Many times, babies go through periods of constipation after beginning solids. As far as I can tell, this does not have to do with their water intake (really, breast milk is best for baby before 12 months). Instead, food changes and diversifies your baby’s gut microbes. And starchy, fibrous foods are more likely to feed different communities of bitty bugs. These well-fed gut microbes then produce gas and affect stool transit time.
A green or bright yellow banana is more starchy than a brown one. Meaning, itprovides morefodder for your baby’s microbes. These starchy carbs are sometimes called resistant starch. During the ripening process, bananas release a gas called ethylene that encourages the production of amylase in a banana…an enzyme that turns starch into sugar.
This means that yellow, browning bananas are sweeter (not a bad thing), easier to digest, and less likely slow things down. If you are concerned about constipation – go with the brown spots.
Bone marrow banana fritters
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons cassava flour
- 1 tablespoon whipped bone marrow, click here for recipe
- 1 very ripe banana
Instructions
- Make a quick batter by mashing ingredients with a fork.
- Heat a pan (I used a well-seasoned cast iron pan) over medium-low heat. When hot, add enough fat to cover the bottom of the pan and reduce heat to low. Choose a heat stable fat, such as coconut oil, ghee, tallow, or lard.
- Form the batterinto patties and carefully place into the hot skillet.The recipe above makes three fritters.
- Cook until the bottoms are browned and the fritters have set, around four minutes. They should feel firm to the touch.
- Remove from pan and cool on a wire rack.
- You can easily double or triple the recipe to make a freezable batch of fritters. To freeze, layer parchment paper between each one and store in an air-tight container for up to six months.
This is not medical advice and any statements made about the use of herbs, supplements, or food have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not meant to diagnose, treat, or cure any disease.
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Reader Interactions
Comments
Anna Kruger saysWondering about alternate fat suggestions? Also would another flour (almond, coconut, or potatoe) work ? Thanks for all your helpful articles !
Reply
- Megan Garcia says
Hey Anna,
I have tried this recipe with multiple types of fat and it works – except you lose all that heme iron (which babies really need) when you use a different fat. If you don’t do bone marrow, other good fats are duck fat (a source of choline) and lard (a source of vitamin D3). Great question xxo!!
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- Erin Montgomery says
can some other flour be substituted for the cassava? I would love to make these tonight but my cassava won’t be here until after christmas.
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- Megan Garcia says
Hey Erin,
I haven’t tried another flour, so I’m not sure. I really love cassava flour for babies because it’s not a nut (like almond) and it’s less likely to make baby constipated (like coconut flour).
If you try another flour, LMK how it works for you xxo!!
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- Ciel says
How do you whip the bone marrow?
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- Megan Garcia says
The recipe is right here: https://megangarcia.com/whipped-bone-marrow-recipe-6-months/
xxo!!
Reply
- Darlene Arevalo says
Hi there, Do you consider this a snack, side dish, or a meal?
Reply
- Megan Garcia says
Hey Darlene,
It’s essentially a fat so I would pair it with food. Some babies love to chew on frozen bone marrow when teething. You can put little cubes in a mesh or silicone teether for that.
Thanks for the great Q, xxo!!
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- Maddie says
Do these need to be kept in the fridge? I’m looking for a good snack to take on the plane 😆
Reply
- Megan Garcia says
Hey Maddie!
They would be travel-friendly over a flight but I wouldn’t keep past that point, since it is made with marrow.
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- Jessica says
Made these today for my 7.5 month old and she loved it! Do you have any other recipes that you like which also use whipped bone marrow? I’ve also tried mixing it into a sweet potato mash but baby doesn’t want to eat much of that for now at least… Just trying to find good ways of getting that marrow into her!
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- Megan Garcia says
YAAAY!!
A lot of parents like mixing bone marrow with softened, lumpy fruit. You could also add a little sprinkle of Pure Synergy Vitamin C.
It’s essentially a fat, so it’s very soft when mixed with room temp or warm foods.
You could also freeze the bone marrow and drop a little cube in a teether, like these from Haakaa.
Hope this helps xxo!!
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